1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a security and article enclosure for use with a portable cooler or ice chest, and in particular, to a heavy duty enclosure for use with a portable cooler that can safeguard items in the cooler from unauthorized removal, provide secured article storage and provide for secure attachments of the cooler and enclosure to other types of beach articles such as beach chairs and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable coolers which house ice, beverages, foodstuffs and the like are commonly used, especially at picnics or beach areas throughout the United States. Typically, the cooler is made of a durable plastic, is rectangularly shaped, has a removable lid and a carrying handle on top of the lid. One of the problems with the use of portable coolers is that in public areas, articles can quickly and easily be removed from the cooler by unauthorized persons. Also, since coolers are light weight and quite small, removal of the entire cooler is often possible. It is also desirable to take hand held items to the beach or picnic areas that can be exposed to the inside of the cooler such as a portable radio, television or other recreational gear which must be carried by the user along with the cooler. The present invention provides for a security enclosure for the cooler that also includes storage space for additional items such as radio and recreational items which are not exposed to the inside of the cooler but can also be secured from theft along with the portable cooler. The security enclosure in accordance with the present invention also provides a cable locking device that allows the entire enclosure and cooler to be secured to other large items such as a picnic table or beach chair to prevent unauthorized removal of the entire cooler. A cooler latch has been shown in the prior art such as in U.S Pat. No. 4,904,007 issued Feb. 27, 1990 to Woodruff which has a releasable latch for use with a picnic cooler. Portable insulated containers for carrying beverage cans and the like are shown in U.S Pat. No. 4,375,828 issued to Biddison, Mar. 8, 1983. The problem of providing additional storage areas when going to places like the beach or picnic is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,484 issued to Tarozzi on May 26, 1987 which shows a portable cooler having a lid with a cavity for carrying additional articles such as sunglasses or the like. None of the coolers shown in the prior art show a security enclosure that also provides additional pockets for carrying numerous different types of items, for security to prevent removal of articles from within the cooler or in the storage pockets and which aid to prevent theft of the entire cooler by providing a locking cable to attach the cooler to other immobile objects.